Constitution Act, 1915 (annotated)

Expanded the Canadian Senate by giving Western Canadian provinces 24 Senators, the same number guaranteed to Ontario, Quebec and the Maritime provinces. The Act also guaranteed Newfoundland six Senators should the British colony join Confederation (it did in 1949).

Be it enacted by the King's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

Alteration of constitution of Senate.

1.

(1) Notwithstanding anything in the Constitution Act, 1867, or in any Act amending the same, or in any Order in Council or terms or conditions of union made or approved under said Acts or in any Act of the Canadian Parliament --

(i) The number of senators provided for under section twenty-one of the Constitution Act, 1867, is increased from seventy-two to ninety-six:

(ii) The Divisions of Canada in relation to the constitution of the Senate provided for by section twenty-two of the said Act are increased from three to four, the fourth Division to comprise the Western Provinces of Manitoba, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, which four Divisions shall (subject to the provisions of the said Act and of this Act) be equally represented in the Senate as follows: Ontario by twenty-four senators; Quebec by twenty-four senators; the Maritime Provinces and Prince Edward Island by twenty-four senators, ten thereof representing Nova Scotia, ten thereof representing New Brunswick, and four thereof representing Prince Edward Island; the Western provinces by twenty-four senators, six thereof representing Manitoba, six thereof representing British Columbia, six thereof representing Saskatchewan, and six thereof representing Alberta:

(iii) The number of persons whom by section twenty-six of the said Act the Governor-General of Canada, may, upon the direction of His Majesty the King, add to the Senate is increased from three to six to four or eight, representing equally the four Divisions of Canada:

(iv) In case of such addition being at any time made the Governor-General of Canada shall not summon any person to the Senate except upon a further like direction by His Majesty the King on the like recommendation to represent one of the four Divisions until such Division is represented by twenty-four senators and no more:

(v) The number of senators shall not at any time exceed one hundred and four:

(vi) The representation in the Senate to which by section one hundred and forty-seven of the Constitution Act, 1867, Newfoundland would be entitled, in case of its admission to the Union, is increased from four to six members, and in case of the admission of Newfoundland until the Union, notwithstanding anything said in the said Act or in this Act, the normal number of senators shall be one hundred and two, and their maximum number one hundred and ten:

(vii) Nothing herein contained shall affect the powers of the Canadian Parliament under the Constitution Act, 1886.

(2) Paragraphs (i) to (vi) inclusive of subjection (1) of this section shall not take effect before the termination of the now existing Canadian parliament.

Constitution of House of Commons.

2.

The Constitution Act, 1867, is amended by adding thereto the following section immediately after section fifty-one of the said Act:

51A. Notwithstanding anything in this Act, a province shall always be entitled to a number of members in the House of Commons not less than the number of senators representing such province.

↑As enacted by the Constitution Act, 1982. As originally enacted it read:

3. This Act may be cited as the British North America Act, 1915; and the British North America Acts, 1867 to 1886, and this Act may be cited together as the British North America Acts, 1867 to 1915.

This document is reproduced under the terms of the Reproduction of Federal Law Order for enactments of the Government of Canada. This document is not an official version, and is not endorsed by the Government of Canada.

Canadian legislation is under Crown Copyright pursuant to Section 12 of the Copyright Act for 50 years after the year of first publication. That section and the lack of modern case law make it unclear whether these documents remain protected by perpetualCrown rights and privileges after that term ends.